The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) doesn’t seem to be pleased with some of the players who are fit and available but not featuring for their state teams in the ongoing Ranji Trophy and has reportedly announced strict measures in Indian cricket. The board has now decided to take decisive action against such players making it mandatory for them to play in the next round of matches starting from February 16.

According to a Cricbuzz report, the directive has been conveyed to the Indian cricket players via email. The mandate, meanwhile, is only applicable to those players who are not currently part of the national squad or undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.

Rahul Dravid clarifies confusion around Ishan Kishan’s break

Effective immediately, the players who have been idling away their time in anticipation of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will now have to join their respective teams soon ahead of the next game in the Ranji Trophy. The board’s move has come to instil discipline among players, especially for the ones who are away from competitive cricket just before IPL despite being fit.

Indian cricket and Ishan Kishan fiasco

One of the cricketers highlighted for the same reason over the last few days is Ishan Kishan who was seen training in Baroda alongside Hardik Pandya, his captain at the Mumbai Indians. However, he is not the only player who has stayed away from the Ranji Trophy despite not being picked for India. The likes of Krunal Pandya and Deepak Chahar have also stayed away from the domestic red-ball tournament.

The directive is also for the players like Shreyas Iyer who has been dropped from the Indian cricket squad from the ongoing Test series against England due to poor form. “Players cannot simply prioritize international cricket or the IPL. They must make themselves available for domestic cricket and honour their commitments to their respective state teams,” a BCCI official said.

Meanwhile, it is also being reported that BCCI is also mulling to make it mandatory for the players to feature in at least four Ranji Trophy matches of the particular season to be eligible to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) going forward. This comes after several players, fit and available, have skipped the country’s premier red-ball competition to prepare for the cash-rich league on their own.

Bumrah to join Indian cricket team on Wednesday

Meanwhile, Cricbuzz has also reported that the ace pacer of the Indian cricket team, Jasprit Bumrah is yet to reach Rajkot with less than 48 hours to go for the third Test against England. The hosts have assembled at the venue on February 11 and have been training since, but even on Tuesday (February 13) afternoon, Bumrah’s absence was noted.

But then it is understood that he will join his teammates on the eve of the Test match and take part in the practice session on Wednesday (February 14). The third Test is set to commence on February 15 at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium (soon to be named Niranjan Shah Stadium) in Rajkot. The five-match series is currently levelled at 1-1 with the visitors winning the Hyderabad Test before India won the match in Vizag.